Wichita eagle., 1887-05-04
la11YE eagle
NELSON'S BEGINNING. :
TIE STEPPING STONE TO THE
SINGERS FUTURE CAREER.

fonng Niolinist Accompanying Her
Own Voice at Village Fair-Laying
the Foundation of the Great Prima
Donna's Fortune
La little hut among tall pines on the es-
tate OF Count Hamilton, in Wexio, in
Sweden, the hut, consisting of two rooms,
belonging to a poor forester on Aug 20, in the
year l6s3, was Goin little tow headed girl,
lie youngest Of seven children who never
spoke unless especially questioned but con-
tnuaiiy sang, trying TO initiate the birds or
tae inrrmgrlng of the yaters-in fact, obey
ing an inner impulse to initiate the great
models OF nature never having heard any
thing else. The SiOabohl (hamlet OF Snugge,
to which the part OF the forest belonged
where she had first seen The light of day, was
a few miles distant from Wexid, and the
highest ambition of the poor children was to
be able to get 10 the fair of Wexio and earn a
few pence somehow in that great town Of
some 500 inhabi ants In order to reach
that glorious result, little Christine, who had
taught herself 70 play on a small fiddle which
belonged to her elder brother and which YOU
can see any day you please in the magnificent
mansion she has built for herself in South
Kensington, entered into partnership with
her brother, who was already her inferior as
a violinist, and they started out together for
the celebrated Wexio.
AT A VILLAGE FAIR.
On they went, per pedes apostolorum, until
they reached, on their way, Ljung-by (by
means village, where there was held small
fair, and where the young violinist accom-
panied her own voice in the few Swedish
IL - ~.
tanned. in her precocious memory With
great pride she relates that this, her first open
air concert, brought her the treasure of
threepence half-penny, forewarning her of
the untold wealth which awaited the children
at the town fair. Thither, then, they re-
paired with all the courage that success,
glory and money can give and arrived littlo
tired, but hopeful, at the fair. There was
suddenly big audience, who wondered if
the violin played Christine or Christine the
violin. When the admiring crowd assem-
bled it attracted the attention of Mr. Tor
nerhjeim, the provincial judge, who tried to
find out, as every one of us would, what was
the matter Wen, fortunately for the great
singer, the judge, man over six feet high,
looked over the shoulders of the people at the
little girl who formed the center of attrac-
ton; and then he saw and heard, over and
above the scraping of the little fiddle, what
he thought the sweetest and most enchanting
timbre of voice he had ever heard before
A highly educated man, and accustomed to
read in the physiognomy of the people who
were brought before him their character and
probable capabilities, he spoke first to the
boy, then to the little girl, and there and then
laid the foundation of the great prima donna's |
fortune by the present Of untold wealth-a |
sixpence. Christine, already frightened with |
the responsibility of carrying her Ljung-by |
funds, suddenly grown rich beyond her ex- |
pectations, with great firmness insisted on |
their immediate return to the only place |
where SO much money could safely be in
vested or deposited-their fathers hut.
THE TOILET DEJoUR.
You can see in one of Chrstine's great |
salons the little skirt, which did not descend |
to the ankle, tie toilet lejour of her first con-
cert, minus the least bit of shoes or stock
ings; and the cherished portrait of two bons
paysans SuedoS-father and mother-in
rich gold frame, which cost more than long
series of concerts AT that time could have
brought her
Although not quite so rich as she became
hereafter, she returned with the first money
earned with her first success in public to her
father. who saw. real ana alive, nine and one
half pence, the product Of two concerts, in
his daughters little hand. Strange as it may
appear, the great success and the great linan-
cial result remained for a few days without
any further consequences; when, just as
second artistic journey was contemplated, tho
aforementioned judge, who naturally had
had some difficulty in unearthing the where
abouts of his small prima donna, came
straight upon her father and asked him
would he allow his honor the provincial
judge to take temporary possession of the
Youngest child, and if she Were found to be SO
Intelligent and gifted Us she WAS supposed to
be- TO give her the education which would
perhaps make the name Of little Christine
somewhat better known. The father referred
him to the mother, every well bred father
will, and the mother, with that abnegation
thai makes Of motherly love the only reli-
able, never-to be-fouud- wanting love in the
world, instantly consented to separate her
self from her child-a Youngest child to boot
so long that sacrifice could do the child
any good THIS little preliminary arranged,
the FIRST important step in Christines life vas
ma,le.--Louis Eugers From Mozart to
Mario"